Philippians 4:13
by stuckbeingrachel
Summary: '"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13' This is not my best fanfic ever but I got the idea and needed to get it out of my system. By spiritual, I mean religious. Don't like, don't read; I mean, what'd you expect, I'm a Christian! Jerome and OC friendship! Has nothing to do with 12DOC! R&R!


**So, ya, this is my first serious religious fic and it is based on Jerome. I do a lot of fics about Jerome so I'm gonna work on some others...**

**This story was inspired by several testimonies and one of my best friends. So, enjoy! It's not all religious, it's got some friendship between Jerome and an OC.**

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Jerome frowned, staring up at the building. People of all ages shuffled past him and a few gave him disapproving looks, eyeing his leather jacket and ripped jeans. He hated it when people judged him, especially these so called Christians. These people weren't supposed to judge him, they were meant to except him for who he was. So what if he'd had kind of a bad life?

He didn't want to go in but that day, he'd woken up and felt like he should try something different. He could hear a small voice in the back of his head, telling him to walk into that building, head held high and without a fear in the world. Problem was, he was terrified. Everyone in that place had a good life with loving family members and caring friends. None of them had made such bad choices, like he had.

_Go_, the voice whispered soothingly.

Jerome swallowed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. He turned around, blocked out the voice, and stared walking back to the road. Before he could make it, a small hand landed on his shoulder. He looked back in surprise; a girl, about his age and not much taller than five feet, stood there with a hesitant smile.

She had long, straight brown hair with a tint of red, it reached her lower back and the top of her head was covered by a white beanie. Her pale green eyes stared up at him with a strange mixture of curiosity and shyness. She had a pink rod in her left eyebrow and a silver stud in her nose and a silver ring on her bottom lip.

"Sorry, I just felt like I needed to talk to you." she said in an angelic voice. It was soft, smooth and comforting.

"Why would you talk to me?" he scoffed, jerking his shoulder away from her hand.

"I don't know, maybe because you looked like you could use a friend to talk to. I'm Kayla Samuels." She held out her small hand.

The blonde watched her for a moment, blue eyes flitting over her face and her body, drinking in her posture and her expressions. She seemed to have noticed he was trying to sum her up and didn't stop him; she just stood there with her hand out for him to shake or ignore.

"Jerome Clarke." He replied, shaking her hand firmly, receiving a squeeze from her.

She seemed to be alright so far. She looked different compared to the other church goers, and she even acted differently. She smiled at him nicely and didn't eye his jeans and jacket like the others did.

"Would you like to hang out and talk?" she asked, pointing back at the church. "I don't usually go inside; I like to go around to the side of the building."

His defenses against the strange voice broke and it whispered to him, _she is a friend. _

"Sure," he shrugged and followed her to the side of the building.

She leaned against one wall and he did the same but on the other, keeping a fair distance between them. She reached into her purse and held out a packet of cigarettes to him. Jerome shielded his surprise and shook his head. He wanted one, badly, but he was trying to quit. He told her so and she chuckled, lighting the one she held between her fingers.

"Maybe you could help me, I can't seem to stop." she said, sucking on the end slowly.

"Toss me the pack." He ordered.

"Why?" she asked warily, smoke spilling out with the word.

In response he took a lighter out of his pocket and she shrugged, throwing the packet over. He pocketed his lighter and turned around, threw the cigarettes onto the building without another word. Kayla gaped at him.

"Why would you do that?" she screeched.

"You said you wanted to quit." He shrugged and took out his phone, checking for any text or calls.

Kayla took a deep breath and threw her cigarette down, stomping on it with her sneakers, grinding it into the dirt. "You and I can definitely help each other if you let me in." she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?"

"You hide things; you've built walls up around your feelings and emotions. I've done the same thing, so don't worry, I know what it's like not being able to trust as easily as other people. You don't have to tell me anything but I can tell you some things about me."

He shrugged, feeling his trust rise for this girl. She was different compared to everyone else. She was willing to listen to what he has to say and trusting enough to tell him about herself.

"My parents are divorced, they got divorced when I was seven. My mom left my dad for some reason unbeknownst to me. I live with my dad and I haven't seen my mom in about three years. My parents used to do drugs too. My mom stopped about a year after leaving my dad and he's been clean for about five years. A lot of things have gone wrong in my life, like my parents and being sucked into the things I should have never done. I'm an outcast, totally ignored by basically everyone. I'm surprised you're talking to me."

"You talked to me first." Jerome pointed out with an eyebrow raised.

She nodded and stuffed her hands in her jean pockets. She went on to tell him about her addictions and her boyfriend and her life at school and home. She had a pretty rough life, losing her friends to popularity, losing family members to illness, drugs and drinking. Her father was the first to become a Christian and he had encouraged her to go to church. She didn't go at first but eventually when she saw how happy he was and realized he had quit drugs and drinking and smoking, she followed in his direction and went to church as well.

Soon she finished and she admitted that she had just told him at least half of her life story. Jerome's stared at that girl—strong, caring, loving, and a woman of Christ—and, due to the voice, his defenses broke. He walked over to her and immediately started telling her everything that he'd ever gone through. He told her about his parents and about his addictions as well. He told her about his school and about his housemates, how none of them really understood him.

The two soon ended up sitting down; leaning against the wall behind them while Kayla read from an old beat up bible she said once belonged to her grandmother. They prayed and discussed everything that came to their minds.

"Oh, here's another really good verse, this is how I quit drugs." She pointed to the page and read it aloud,

Jerome nodded, repeating the verse over in his head.

"I've actually had many arguments with myself, whether or not I should get that verse tattooed. On my arm, I think. What do you think, should I get one?" the brunette asked, running her fingers over her forearm.

Jerome thought for a moment, looking at her arm and then his, covered by leather.

"I will if you will." He smirked at her.

Her eyes lit up and she pulled him up off the ground, stuffing her bible into her bag. She linked her arm with his and pulled him down the walkway to the street as other church goers left the building.

"Let's do this!" she grinned.

He chuckled and let her tug him to the curb where she hailed a cab down and requested the driver to take them into town. He nodded and Jerome leaned back on the seats.

"This is going to be awesome! I think I'm going to get it in purple, maybe blue? What about you?"

"I don't know until I see what they can do." He replied.

Jerome had never noticed the little tattoo shop to the right of the road. _Ty's Tattoos_ was simple and caught a passerby's attention. He thought that until he entered the shop. All around him were tall bulky men with either a cigarette or beer in hand. But he kept his head held high with Kayla walking happily by his side as if they were walking down the street. Kayla was the only girl in the entire building, from what Jerome could see and he was way skinnier than any of the guys there. At the front desk, Kayla slammed her fist down onto the wood and the man behind the counter jolted awake.

"Hey, how can I help you?" he yawned, sitting up.

He had several tattoos on his arms and wore a black t-shirt and jeans. He was just as skinny as Jerome and about as tall. His light brown hair reached his shoulders, half his face hidden by his bangs. He wore a grey beanie and had blue eyes.

"Oh, hey, babe, how's it going?" he grinned at Kayla when his foggy eyes cleared. He leaned back in his chair and his eyes landed on Jerome. "Who's he?"

"This is Jerome Clarke, my new church friend, we want a tattoo." Kayla told him. "Jerome, this is my boyfriend, Ryan Reed."

"I thought you weren't getting another tattoo?" Ryan pointed out, standing to his full height and coming less than three inches shorter than Jerome.

"Yeah, but Jerome and I both want the same thing. We're gonna be tattoo buddies." She explained in a teasing tone.

"You already have a tattoo, it matches mine."

"Please, for me?" she batted her eyelashes.

"Fine, where do you want it?" he sighed, jerking his head to the side so his bangs would flip out of his eyes.

"I want mine on my left forearm and Jerome wants his…?" she drifted off so he could continue.

"My back." he replied.

"What do you want?"

"A bible verse, the same one—"

"Matching colors, matching font, you know, matching everything." Jerome interjected, taking a step forward to lean his forearms on the counter.

Ryan took his advance as a challenging step but didn't show it as Kayla looked between the two, giving them both silent warnings. After a few minutes of deciding what they wanted the tattoo to look like, Ryan put a hand on his girlfriend's lower back and led her into the back room, motioning to the room next to it. Jerome followed his direction and closed the door behind him.

Twenty minutes later, Kayla left the room she was in and Jerome strutted out of the one next to it. He held his jacket in one hand and ran the other through his hair. He smiled at her and they went back to the desk.

"Can I see it?" Kayla asked excitedly.

Jerome shrugged and pulled the back of his black t-shirt up until it reached his neck. Across his shoulder blades in blue ink was the same verse that Kayla had tattooed on her arm. She grinned and held up her arm for him to see.

"That's awesome," Jerome chuckled, fisting bumping her.

After Kayla and Ryan talked for a moment and they paid for the tattoos, they left the shop. Jerome hailed down a taxi and they took off down the street.

"Will you be going to church next week?" Kayla asked as he got out.

For once, Jerome liked the idea of going to church, and following the voice's orders once again, he nodded.

"Yeah, I think I have a reason to go." he winked and headed up the walkway to Anubis House.

And as he thought back on his day; his new friend and that voice that seemed to control him, make him fear whatever it was and cause him to feel that he was loved, made him finally truly believe the verse. For once Jerome was happy with his life. He had always woken up, every morning, and dreaded the new day. Now, he was happy that he'd gone through everything in his life. He now enjoyed his life because now he felt stronger and braver. And it was all because of a girl and a bible verse.

The voice didn't leave his head and he didn't bother to block it out. His eyes flitted to the sky and a small smile appeared on his lips as the voice whispered again,

_I love you._

_**"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13**_

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**How'd y'all like that? Was it horrible? Obviously, this took place before the first season, so ya. Just like Tattoos, I have no idea where this came from...**

**Kayla and Ryan were based off my best friend and her boyfriend, so shoutout to them! :D**

**I don't think I need a bible verse in this one, since it's sitting right above this A/N.**

**ReViEw!**

**Love y'all, God bless!**

**-Rachel**


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